The Presentation

It was 1988 and I had just returned to college to finish my degree in nursing. What was I thinking? It had been so many years since I had attended school. I must be crazy I thought. But here I was with my back pack full of the books I needed to complete my degree.

Surprised as I was, I loved being in class. I couldn’t get enough of learning. Why had I put this off for so long. Oh, yeah, I remembered, I was raising a family. Ok, so it made perfect sense to me that my priorities were in the right place.

As my first semester went along I was actually feeling a little guilty that I was having so much fun. Then, as I checked my syllabus I began to feel a panick take over me. I had to present a paper. I can’t stand up and talk to the whole class I thought. I will never pass this class if I can’t. What was I going to do?

Well, I researched my topic very well. I put my words on paper and practiced and practiced in front of a mirror until the day came when it was my turn to present.
I dressed in a professional suit with my hair and makeup done. I knew I was prepared, but my stomach was full of butterflies. I began sweating. And that was before I even got to class.

Finally, as I was seated in class and the professor called me to the front of the room. I couldn’t hear, there was a whooshing sound in my ears. As I approached the front of the room I was feeling a little dizzy and I could feel a trickle of sweat running down my back. I felt totally exposed as if everyone could see my innermost thoughts and just knew I didn’t have a clue about what I was going to say.

Then, as I said good morning to the class something changed. All of a sudden I had an overwhelming confidence. I began my presentation. My voice was strong. I actually knew what I was talking about. I wowed my audience. After my presentation I answered questions and was amazed at how many of my fellow students were actually interested in the content I had presented.

I guess I had to attribute my success that day to being well prepared and to the fact that I was a married woman with children and had been speaking in front of people for years. I had been in countless meetings at the schools my children attended, was involved in politics, demonstrated Tupperware, and was often team leader at the hospital during my shifts. I just never thought about how that prepared me for my presentation, or the fact that preparing for my classes had become a priority since I was footing the bill. Something I had failed to do the first time around when my dad was paying.

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sailaway from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” ~ Mark Twain